Madrid , the city is in turmoil: the City Hall is carrying out improvement works on numerous streets across the capital, many on essential arteries. Among them the perpetual undergrounding of the A-5, the eastern entrance at Conde Casal, or the undergrounding of the North junction on Paseo de la Castellana. The result is traffic cuts, detours, and restricted lanes at the points where the renovations take place.
With this scenario comes the back-to-school season. From Monday, September 7, as millions of commuters resume their usual pace and schools open, Madrid could turn into a real chaos and traffic jams. To try to minimize it, the City Council has confirmed that they will be free for all the EMT urban buses and the Bicimad service on September 7 and 8.
Two days of free transport, but not the Metro
The measure is aimed at promoting the use of public transport in the city. It includes users who come to work in Madrid from peripheral towns, recalling the existence of seven park-and-ride facilities in locations such as Avenida de Portugal, the Metropolitano stadium, or El Recuerdo, among others. Together they total just 6,023 spaces.
Thus, on both Monday, September 7 and Tuesday, September 8, trips on any of the EMT urban bus lines will be free. As for the Bicimad service, all trips on this municipal service, and up to 30 minutes, will also be free on these two days.
The Madrid Metro is not included in this gratuity, nor are intercity buses, operated by the Community of Madrid.
What streets are closed in Madrid due to the works?
Meanwhile, the works in Madrid continue, efforts to speed them up during the summer months when many Madrileños were away. Even so, in the coming weeks, and until the end of the year, there will be occupations on different roads and streets of the city, causing traffic disruptions. Hence the city hall recommends using public transport, beyond the days when it will be free.
The actions and their duration, as well as their impact on streets and roads detailed by the City Council of Madrid, are as follows:
- Southwest Green Boulevard (A-5). The A-5 tunnels are expected to be completed by the end of 2026, opening to traffic. Since the week of August 31, the surface layout has been simplified, removing the second bypass of Yébenes Street.
- Castellana Park. A 675-meter section of the Castellana promenade is being buried between Sinesio Delgado Street and the M-30 North Junction. This new tunnel is expected to be operational in December 2026. Until then the central trunk of the Castellana remains cut in that stretch. In the southbound direction there are two lanes and, in the northbound direction, three lanes plus one reserved for buses with exit to the North Junction. Alternate routes are maintained for trips to the M-607, A-1 and M-11 roads.
- Ventas Park. The bulk of the works to cover the M-30 and create a new park of more than 16,000 m² has already finished. Now nocturnal, punctual operations remain. The installation of vertical gardens on the Ventas bridge entails night cuts on the service roads, which will extend until 11:00 on Saturdays and Sundays.
- Alcalá-Cibeles Pedestrian Boulevard. The Alcalá street between Cibeles and Independence Square (Puerta de Alcalá) is being redesigned to create a new central pedestrian promenade. From this week, the stretch remains with three lanes per direction on Alcalá Street: two for general traffic and one for public transport. In Independence Square, next to Retiro, there are four lanes open (three general and one for public transport) and in the rest of the square, five (one of them for public transport).
- Vallecas Bridge (M-30) Rehabilitation. Between July and August milling, waterproofing, and paving of the bridge deck have been completed. While most lanes are already available this week, structural works remain, with lane cuts on the Vallecas exits outside peak hours and from 23:00 to 06:00. The City Council expects the works to finish between mid and late October 2026.
- Metro Improvement Works. The extension of Line 11, with significant works at Atocha and Conde de Casal, continues, though traffic has already been opened on Infanta Isabel Street toward Atocha and on both directions of the Mariano de Cavia tunnel. There are ongoing closures due to various works near Ventas, Duque de Pastrana and Santiago Bernabéu stations (this station is undergoing a complete remodel).
From the City Council of Madrid they point out that all information about closures or lane reductions resulting from the current works will be updated in real time on Google Maps and Waze, as well as other navigation browsers and GPS apps.
Images | City Council of Madrid, EMT
